Jordan Fun & Adventure

Outdoor 'Adventure Tourism' is expanding at a fast rate in Jordan, and promises to remain one of the most dynamic and innovative travel industry sectors for years to come. Several Jordanian companies have started to specialize in eco-tourism and action tourism, providing the combination of safety, adventure, and comfortable facilities that make action tourism such an exciting proposition today.

Petra, Jordan

Jordan has great comparative advantage in this sector, based on several assets: guaranteed sunshine for eight months of the year; a base of powerful, unique cultural attractions such as Petra, Jerash, Bethany Beyond the Jordan, and the early Islamic Desert Castles; and, a wide range of very different, often stunning natural environments that are easily accessible and virtually undiscovered by the tourism industry. Quality hotels and restaurants throughout the country mean that thrill-seekers who want to pamper themselves in between adventure treks have a wide range of facilities to choose from.

Jordan already caters to the more traditional vacationer who likes to combine a visit to an ancient site in the morning with a swim, a round of golf, or a game of tennis or bowling in the afternoon. The exciting new horizons in adventure tourism allow visitors to push themselves to new levels of adventure and endurance while soaking up natural marvels and dramatic cultural attractions from the ancient world.

Nature enthusiasts have many options in Jordan: the vast, silent drama of Wadi Rum, the forested hills of central Jordan, or the plunging Jordan Rift Valley that includes the Dead Sea - the lowest spot on earth at 410 metres below sea level. The Red Sea resort of Aqaba is always warm, balmy, and enticing for divers and other watersports enthusiasts. Aqaba offers a full range of facilities for speedboating, scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, fishing, swimming, water skiing, wind surfing, or simply loafing and sunning in the warm crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea. The sparkling purple mountains surrounding Aqaba beckon hikers who seek new adventures, and unconquered terrain.

Jordan boasts other unique, enticing waters that provide relaxing interludes for adventure vacationers who want to rest their spirits and soak their bodies. Quality hotels and spas at the Dead Sea and the nearby Hammamat Zarqa Ma'in Springs allow visitors to experience several different kinds of mineral hot springs and the thick, warm brine of the Dead Sea, which are both soothing and therapeutic. One of the great water adventures in Jordan is to hike, climb and sometimes even wade or swim through the magnificent gorge of the Wadi Mujib, along the east coast of the Dead Sea, to reach a magical pool and waterfall that emerge like a mirage from amidst the surrounding warm cliffs and barren hillsides.